North Dakota Protection & Advocacy Project

News: June, 2008

Vote - It's Your Right

North Dakota will have a Primary Election on June 10, 2008. A primary election, also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters select or nominate candidates for the General Election in November. This includes United States senators, member of the United States House of Representatives, members of the ND legislative assembly, elected state officials, judges of the ND Supreme Court and District Court, county officers, and county commissioners.

Candidates must either obtain and file a Certificate of Endorsement from a political party or obtain the required number of signatures and file a Petition in order to be placed on the primary ballot.

You may vote for the candidates of only one party at the primary election. If you cast votes in more than one party column and vote for candidates of more than one party, your party ballot will be rejected.

No reference is made to the party affiliation of a candidate for nomination to an elective county office, the office of judge of the Supreme Court, judge of the District Court, or Superintendent of Public Instruction. The no-party list of offices and candidates is separate from the party list of offices and is entitled "no-party primary ballot".

If you are a voter with disabilities you may be accompanied by, and receive assistance from, another person of your choice in the voting booth, unless the person is an employer, officer or agent of your union, a candidate running in that election, or a relative of a candidate. The polling place building should have several routes through it, and sufficient signs should be in place to direct you to the most accessible route to the polling location. If you encounter problems with voting or think you have been discriminated against because of your disability, you may contact Protection and Advocacy or the Secretary of State's Office for assistance.